Think what we could accomplish with a dash of dogged enthusiasm.

My little dog is an enthusiastic, energetic, and spunky individual with a real zest for life.

Harvey knows his routine and mine. Our expectations of one another are obvious, despite the lack of a verbal or written contract. I know walks are promptly at 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; he knows treats provide incentive for tricks.

He is unfailingly happy, whether basking in the sun, lounging in a chair, or chasing a squirrel in his canine quest for self-actualization.

I encourage Harvey’s individuality, even though sometimes he needs guidance in goal setting and achievement.

Lora Kloth is research librarian at CUNA.

Imagine if we could all be as consistently engaged and enthusiastic about our daily work as Harvey is in his day! Engaged employees bring innovative ideas, a friendly disposition, a “can-do” attitude, a spirit of cooperation, and increased productivity.

Challenges are embraced. Engaged employees speak well of their employers.

From my on-the-job observations, it appears these positive behaviors and attitudes are contagious, especially if the engaged employee is a motivated manager who inspires his or her team to levels of greatness. Ultimately, business and personal successes are inherently linked.

Let’s fetch some more research to see if you find any of it particularly engaging.

Gallup’s research shows that “engaged employees are deeply committed to their employer, leading to key improvements in business outcomes, including reductions in absenteeism, turnover, shrinkage, safety incidents, and product defects.”

1. Broadening the definition of lengthy unemployment to “long-term hardship”; and

2. Complementing the standard measure of long-term employment (those out of work for six months or more) with an alternative measure, which reports the percentage of the total workforce that’s been unemployed for six months or more.

The latter change allows for better comparisons across demographic groups.

How do your members define a “quality job”? How does your credit union define one as an employer?

One more ball to chase on the employment topic presents itself in “Joblessness Leads to More Hungry & Homeless Families in U.S. Cities” by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. This report reveals “with joblessness in many cities reaching double-digits, unemployment was cited…as the main cause of hunger, followed by poverty, low wages and high housing costs.”

It says uncertainty and high unemployment are important variables in our weakened housing market, but further problems within the market itself continue to be burdensome: an excess supply of homes due to foreclosures, limitations on mortgage credit, and an “inefficient foreclosure process.

We may be undergoing a housing shift if this report is a precursor. One possible California outcome: “If the homeownership rate falls by up to 10 percent from 2010 levels—a conceivable outcome if proposed changes to home mortgage finance are adopted—a wholesale shift will take place from owner-occupied homes to rental homes or split-tenure homes, where owners open their existing home to renters on a large scale.”

Despite the many problems facing our economy, our credit unions, and our lives, Harvey the Hound relishes every moment of every day, and enhances my life with his exuberance. We’re a great team. Woof!